The ocular surface consists of the conjunctiva and the cornea, together with elements such as the lacrimal gland, lacrimal drainage apparatus and associated eyelid structures. Ocular surface disease (OSD) describes a spectrum of disorders that affect the normal structure and function of the ocular surface, resulting in symptomatic discomfort, visual disturbances, and tear film instability. While dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most prevalent types of OSD, affecting 5% to 50% of the population worldwide, there are other infectious and immune conjunctive or corneal diseases that need attention, such as allergies, keratitis, chemical burns, and graft-versus-host disease. Since the ocular surface serves as an anatomic, physiologic, and immunologic interface between the functioning eye and the environment, OSD has unique physiological and histopathologic mechanisms. Our understanding of OSD has undergone substantial evolution over the last few decades, with remarkable advances in both basic and clinical research.
This Research Topic aims at presenting the advances in the field of ocular surface diseases, in order to gain a better understanding of the specific changes in immunoregulation of OSD, new diagnostic techniques for OSD, and mechanisms of ocular surface homeostasis maintenance, also to help researchers find promising biomarkers in the tear film and therapeutic targets for the restoration of the ocular surface.
We welcome submissions of both basic and clinical studies as well as systematic reviews. Perspective on, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Advances in the pathogenesis of ocular surface diseases, including inflammatory pathways, new biomarkers in the tear film, pain causes, mechanism of wound healing, the effect of hormonal changes on DED, etc.
• Mechanisms of iatrogenic, especially surgical induced DED, and its impact on visual quality
• Multimodal assessment of ocular surface diseases, including the morphology of corneal nerves, microvascular alteration, etc.
• Application of artificial intelligence in ocular surface disease
• Novel treatments of ocular surface diseases, such as innovative medication targeting specific inflammatory factors
The ocular surface consists of the conjunctiva and the cornea, together with elements such as the lacrimal gland, lacrimal drainage apparatus and associated eyelid structures. Ocular surface disease (OSD) describes a spectrum of disorders that affect the normal structure and function of the ocular surface, resulting in symptomatic discomfort, visual disturbances, and tear film instability. While dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most prevalent types of OSD, affecting 5% to 50% of the population worldwide, there are other infectious and immune conjunctive or corneal diseases that need attention, such as allergies, keratitis, chemical burns, and graft-versus-host disease. Since the ocular surface serves as an anatomic, physiologic, and immunologic interface between the functioning eye and the environment, OSD has unique physiological and histopathologic mechanisms. Our understanding of OSD has undergone substantial evolution over the last few decades, with remarkable advances in both basic and clinical research.
This Research Topic aims at presenting the advances in the field of ocular surface diseases, in order to gain a better understanding of the specific changes in immunoregulation of OSD, new diagnostic techniques for OSD, and mechanisms of ocular surface homeostasis maintenance, also to help researchers find promising biomarkers in the tear film and therapeutic targets for the restoration of the ocular surface.
We welcome submissions of both basic and clinical studies as well as systematic reviews. Perspective on, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Advances in the pathogenesis of ocular surface diseases, including inflammatory pathways, new biomarkers in the tear film, pain causes, mechanism of wound healing, the effect of hormonal changes on DED, etc.
• Mechanisms of iatrogenic, especially surgical induced DED, and its impact on visual quality
• Multimodal assessment of ocular surface diseases, including the morphology of corneal nerves, microvascular alteration, etc.
• Application of artificial intelligence in ocular surface disease
• Novel treatments of ocular surface diseases, such as innovative medication targeting specific inflammatory factors
